Soccer-Struggling Real Zaragoza fire coach Aguirre - Reuters Africa

 Real Zaragoza have rescinded the contract of coach Javier Aguirre, the La Liga club said on Friday, following a woeful run which has left them bottom of the standings.

"Real Zaragoza have agreed with Javier Aguirre to cancel his contract as first team coach," Zaragoza said in a statement on their website (www.realzaragoza.com).

"The situation the Aragonese team is in required an urgent change of course, which is why this agreement was reached," Real added.

Former Mexico boss Aguirre, who has also coached La Liga sides Atletico Madrid and Osasuna, was appointed in November 2010 to replace the sacked Jose Aurelio Gay and the 53-year-old helped Zaragoza narrowly avoid relegation last term.

With 16 of 38 matches played this season, they have just 10 points and are four behind 19th-placed Racing Santander.

"The players will get through this," Aguirre was quoted as saying in local media on Friday.

"I would have liked to stay to the end but I understand that these things happen in football."

Like many Spanish clubs, Zaragoza are suffering severe financial difficulties and applied to go into voluntary administration in June.

The newly-appointed members of their board of directors would hold a news conference later on Friday, the club said.

Zaragoza have won Spain's King's Cup six times, the last coming in 2004, and beat Arsenal to win the European Cup winners' Cup in 1995. (Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Alastair Himmer; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Zaragoza sack Aguirre - Fifa.com

Javier Aguirre has had his contract as Real Zaragoza coach terminated. The Mexican, who led his country at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, had been in charge of the Aragon club since November of the same year.

Zaragoza are bottom of La Liga, having lost eight of their last nine league games. A statement on the club's official website read: "Late last night on Thursday, December 29, Real Zaragoza reached an agreement with Javier Aguirre for the termination of his contract as first-team coach."

Aguirre succeeded Jose Aurelio Gay at the helm and managed to keep the club in the top flight last season, as Zaragoza finished two points clear of relegated Deportivo in a closely-fought relegation scrap.

However, the first half of this campaign indicated the team would struggle to avoid the drop this time around, and the club admitted in their statement that they felt it was time for a change.

"Real Zaragoza wishes to acknowledge the professionalism and dedication displayed by Javier Aguirre during the time he has been coaching the team," the statement continued. "However, the sporting situation that faced the team required an urgent change of direction, so it has come to this agreement.

"Real Zaragoza wishes Javier Aguirre every success in his future career. We would also seek to highlight the exemplary attitude he has shown during his stay."

The 53-year-old, who played for his country when they hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1986, also led Mexico as coach at Korea/Japan 2002.

Prior to his second spell at Mexico's reins, he was in charge at Osasuna between 2002 and '06, before moving on to Atletico Madrid between 2006 and '09.